Overview
- Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished from her Tucson home on Feb. 1 and authorities treat the disappearance as an apparent abduction after finding doorbell camera footage and blood at the scene that matched her DNA.
- FBI releases describe a masked suspect in the doorbell video as about 5'9"–5'10" with an average build carrying a black Ozark Trail backpack, and investigators have searched neighborhood cameras, pacemaker data and other forensic leads.
- On July 22 a reporter read what she said was the first ransom note on the Crime Junkie podcast, a message that demanded millions in Bitcoin, threatened murder if unpaid and included specific crime-scene details.
- Law enforcement has not authenticated the notes and some FBI sources have expressed skepticism about their legitimacy; one person has pleaded guilty to sending a fraudulent ransom-style communication in the case.
- The investigation remains active with agents tracing blockchain transactions, collecting public tips and following forensic leads, and the Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to answers.